Human faces and stories of Human faces and stories of climate changeclimate change

Presented by Maria.Tiimon Presented by Maria.Tiimon

• Working with the Pacific Calling Working with the Pacific Calling Partnership, based in Sydney, as Pacific Partnership, based in Sydney, as Pacific Outreach OfficerOutreach Officer

KiribatiKiribatiLong, thin islands – Long, thin islands – sea on one sidesea on one sidelagoon on the other lagoon on the other sideside

I visited my I visited my home island home island Beru in 2009 Beru in 2009 and found and found many drastic many drastic changes changes such as such as breadfruit breadfruit trees dying trees dying from droughtfrom drought

Longer droughts: decreasing well waterLonger droughts: decreasing well water

Intrusion of sea water into the Intrusion of sea water into the Babai (giant taro) pitBabai (giant taro) pit

Best babai pit on Abaiang Best babai pit on Abaiang destroyed by salt water inundationdestroyed by salt water inundation

Dying Pandanus tree. Dying Pandanus tree. Many more trees and plants are Many more trees and plants are salt and drought affected salt and drought affected

Erosion is eating up land, trees Erosion is eating up land, trees and buildings. How long can this and buildings. How long can this go on?go on?

Disappearing shorelineDisappearing shoreline

Wave caps mark old shore line – Wave caps mark old shore line – AbaiangAbaiang

People are building more seawalls People are building more seawalls but how long will they last?but how long will they last?(Living coral is a natural protection)(Living coral is a natural protection)

Concrete seawall and yet it’s not Concrete seawall and yet it’s not strong enough to hold back the strong enough to hold back the stormsstorms

New sea walls protect public assets New sea walls protect public assets With more adaptation funding we could build With more adaptation funding we could build more of these stronger, bigger sea wallsmore of these stronger, bigger sea walls

Kiribati Adaptation Project www.climate.gov.ki

We love our traditional danceWe love our traditional danceHuman face of culture

• Traditional danceTraditional dance• Local weddingLocal wedding

How long will these How long will these cultural traditions cultural traditions last if we are forced last if we are forced to move away from to move away from our homelands as a our homelands as a result of climate result of climate change?change?

How long will we keep How long will we keep smiling?smiling?

We don’t want to go under We don’t want to go under waterwater

Please help to save my futurePlease help to save my future

Thank you all for your participationThank you all for your participation